Folding box



y 1935- E. STERN ET AL 2,008,935

FOLDING Box Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I. 1 7

' FIG/2.

- INV ENTORS EDGAR L. STERN.

RAOUL 'J. mums? BY ATTORNEY July 23, 1935- E. L.'STERN ET AL FOLDING BOX Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I l I I I I I 7 I I I I I I I I FIG. 7.

FIGS.

'FIG. 4.

S R O T N Wm mE T S R A G D E Patented July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES FOLDING BOX Edgar L. Stern and Raoul J. Gruenberg, San Francisco, Calif.

Application September .21, 1931, Serial No. 563,920

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in folding boxes and more particularly to folding box board products. For further particulars reference is made to the patent to Edgar L. Stern, Number 1,463,448, dated July 31, 1923, entitled Folding box.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a paper box that may be machine or hand folded and supplied to the trade in a collapsed condition and that may be easily and quickly opened ready for use without any assembling operations by the consumer.

Another object is to-construct and arrange the interlocking portions of the box to provide reinforced self-elevating corners that will remain rigid when elevated.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings the invention is disclosed in its present preferred form. It is to be understood, however, that it is not limited to this form, because it may be embodied in other forms within the purview of the claims following the description.

In the two sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding box constructed in accordance with this invention and having an integrally hinged lid.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged detail of a box corner, interlocked and showing the relative positions of the parts during the act of opening and elevating the corner of a collapsed box.

Fig, 3 is similar to Fig. 2 showing the positions of the parts near the end of the act of opening and elevating a corner of the collapsed box.

'Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a side elevation of an elevated corner.

Fig. 5 is a plane view of the box blank.

Fig. 6 is a plane view of a fully collapsed box.

Fig. 7 is a. cross section of a corner of the box when collapsed, showing the relative positions of the tongue engaging the side slots.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings, referring to Fig. 5, comprises a blank of foldable box board longitudinally scored at |-2, and transversely scored at 3-4-56. These score lines divide the blank respe e y into the top and bottom 1-8, the ends 9-l0 and the lock flap II, in longitudinal alinement, and the sides 12-43 and the locking tongues l6--ll-l8!9 in transverse alinement respectively on opposite sides of the blank.

The ends of the end flap II are rounded at I l '-I l" and the corners of the side flaps 12-43 are cut away at i2-l3 to facilitate the closing of the assembled box.

The sides I4I5 are pierced with the obliquely disposed biarcuate or two segmental curve slots -2I-22-23, starting at 41-?) and meeting at the apex 0, see Fig. 4. The ends of these sides 8-45 are eased off as at M'--l5'. The material removed at that point facilitates the folding and unfolding of the box by removing the frictional contact with the ends 9lll.

The tongues IE to I9 are each cut to a particular pattern, see Fig. 5. Each is severed from the adjacent sides by the cuts 242526-21 28--29, extending from the lateral margins inward to their respective score lines l2, whereat they remain hinged to the blank. The outer corners are cut away by the angular notches d-e. These notches are substantially triangular, the bases of the notches d being transverse to the score line l2, while the bases of the notches e are oblique to said lines. At the apex of each notch d, the corner is cut away to form the gap 1.

These tongues Hi to I9 have the neck from e to between the angular head g and the base h. The sides i;i of the tongues are parallel with the score lines 4-56 and the sides 74: are parallel with the longitudinal score lines l2, for reasons which will be more fully described.

The box is assembled by folding the sides I l-l5 upward and inward on the lines l-2, and the ends 9-) upward and inward on the lines 56. This leaves the tongues I 6 to IE! projecting laterally. These tongues are bent on the lines l--2 so that their planes lie parallel with the outer planes of the sides I l-I5. The heads g of the tongues are then entered through their respective pierced. slots 20 to 23, until their edges 2' rest upon the bottom 8. The cuts from c to 11 open to pass the heads y, then close to retain them. This leaves the portions from a. to 0 engaging the necks from e to f. The gaps f engage the cross section of the sides l4-l5 at a and cooperate with the closed out cb to lock the heads 9 within the box, by enabling the tabs to lie flat against the sides "-15. Without these gaps f the corners of the notches 11 do not snap into engagement with the slot at a. When in the fiat collapsed condition the necks of the tongues take an offset at 30 (see Fig. 7) equal to the thickness of the paper sides of the box, and will lie flat against these sides when the box is opened, as will be more fully described. The

- friction of the edges i against the bottom 8 of the box further prevents the lateral displacement of the heads g and the sides I l-l5. The

bracing of the head at 1 causes the tongue to act as a strut, from A to H, see Figs. 1 and 4, insuring rigidity at the several elevated corners of the open box. The corners of the tongues |6-|1-I8|9 are cut away as at |6'-||'- I8-l9 to facilitate their entry through the slots at b.

When the box corners are interlocked for storage in the flat or collapsed state, as shown in Fig. 6, the procedure is slightly difierent from that above described. Instead of rotating the heads g through the slots 20 to 23, in the vertical plane, the sides M-IS are bent over the bottom 8, see Fig. 2, instead of perpendicular thereto, as in Fig. 1. The operator then enters the heads g thiough the slots by curling the tongues back toward the planes of the ends 9-H] respectively. The continued depression or flattening of the ends 9-!0 and sides |4-|5 completes the interlocking of the tongues in the slots, which also holds these ends and sides flat against the plane of the bot tom 8, because of the spring tension of the tongues, until released by the act of opening the collapsed box. This interlocking and collapsing of the box is accomplished by a folding machine forming the subject matter of another application for patent about to be filed.

The collapsed box opens automatically into the shape shown in Fig. 1, when the two sides I l-I are grasped at their centers X-X, see Fig. 6, and the sides l4-|5 elevated as in Fig. 1. There is enough resiliency in the material of the tongues to cause them to snap the several corners up, which opens the box to full capacity.

One great advantage of this invention is that the boxes can be assembled in the fiat collapsed condition at the factory and delivered to the trade in convenient bundles. The sales person merely lays a box on the counter, snaps it open, inserts the contents and delivers it to the customer. In this practice neither the sales person nor the customer loses any time in assembling the box.

It is obvious that if desired the trade can receive the blanks, see Fig. 5, and assemble the boxes by hand to utilize the spare time of the sales people and thus save some of the first cost of the boxes.

The form of box illustrated is what is known as a cake box. The same general form also serves for eggs and many other commodities. The lid 8 hinges at 4, and when closed the flaps I 2| 3 pass within the box parallel with the sides l4-| 5 and the end flap l 1 lies within the end [0. In the collapsed condition the lid 1 may be folded down to lie above the bottom 8, or folded back at 4 as shown in Fig. 6.

Suit boxes, flower boxes and similar telescoping boxes in all shapes and sizes can embody this invention. In such cases the lid 1 is omitted at 4, and two trays of telescoping sizes made as in Fig. 1, of any practical dimensions. When such trays are telescoped together in the usual manner they make a complete, covered box in accordance with this invention.

In the present embodiment the tongues have been shown formed on the ends and engaging slots in the sides. The parts may be reversed by forming the tongues on the sides to engage slots in the ends, or the tongues and slots may be alternated at the corners in polygonal or irregular box shapes, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described this invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a cardboard box unit in knocked-down collapsed form comprising a bottom, rectangular sides hinged thereto and lying flat upon the bottom, rectangular ends hinged to the bottom and lying upon the end portions of the sides, tongues on the ends projecting through slots in the sides, said sides and ends and tongues when raised to vertical position forming corner constructions, the ends of the tongues being of such length as to remain in engagement with the bottom when the tongues are in vertical position, said tongues where passed through the sides having such form as to constitute a positive hook like engaging means resisting separation of the ands from the sides.

2. As an article of manufacture, a cardboard box unit in knocked-down collapsed form comprising a bottom, sides and ends hinged to the bottom, the sides lying flat upon the bottom, said ends lying flat upon the end portions of the sides, said sides having slots therein, tongues on the ends projecting through said slots, said sides, ends and tongues when raised to vertical position forming corner constructions, the ends of the tongues being of such length as to remain in engagement with the bottom when the tongues are in vertical position, said tongues having hook EDGAR L..STERN. RAOUL J. GRUEN'BERG. 

